http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Sarah-C/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Sarah C en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:42:39 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:42:39 +0000 One last blog. I've been procrastinating on writing this one...as it makes me sad to think this adventure is over. I feel the pressure to write something to beautifully summarize my entire experience. However after a month of thinking and trying I haven't been able to yet so I will just write thisI arrived home in Seattle on Monday May 5. Oh and by the way I had zero hassle in Amsterdam wi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Washington/Seattle/blog-280102.html ...the land of steep stairs and rectangle spectacles. I arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday morning after a stressful last few days in Ghana. I spent my last three days in Accra...enjoying the city. However I also enjoyed a sketchy cheeseburger on Monday night and ended up with food poisoning It was not a pretty picture. I was sick all day Tuesday and Wednesday. With my flight leaving Wednesday ni http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/Rotterdam/blog-272521.html Wow. My last week in Ghana is here. It's so hard to believe that eight months have passed so quickly. I remember the first three weeks went so slowly that I didn't imagine I would ever make it to the end. But it's here. Of course my emotions are all over the place...I am feeling so happy and excited to be going home but at the same time it will be difficult to leave the friends I have made and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-268883.html When I was student teaching 4th grade in Bellingham at the end of the week each student would get a stapled packet of all the work they had completed that week. It was graded and compiled by their teacher or me and there was a pretty little cover sheet that said A Week's Worth of Work on top. As I look back on the past week in Ghana let me see if I can compile and staple all of my work in http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-265067.html Five more weeks to go the countdown is on My excitement about returning home is growing each day and each day I think of another reason why I am happy to come home. While I do have mixed feelings about leaving Ghana I am sure that I am looking forward to returning to Seattle.Thanks to all who have donated money to the education funds of Mahadev Oppong Jamila and Babangida. So far I have c http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-260102.html Time for an update. As I noticed the date I found it significant as Irsquoll be landing in Seattle exactly two months from today. I was finally able to get a return ticket THANKS MOM and will leave Ghana on April 30 stop in Amsterdam for a few days to visit Maaike one of the volunteers in Ejura and then head home I am starting to get really excited about my return to AmericaSo thi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-253036.html I've been in Cape Coast for almost three weeks now. The weather has finally cooled off a little bit. By that I mean probably about five degrees. The good thing is that my hair is finally long enough to put up in a ponytail. The bad thing is that it doesnrsquot look so nice. The really good thing is that I donrsquot even care.Katy and I have slowly been getting used to cooking. It is not all i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-247927.html Before I came to Ghana several people in the U.S. and in Ghana told me I should fundraise to earn money for the schools where I would be volunteering. I did not as I felt it was important to see firsthand the schools and meet the students rather than blindly handing over money upon my arrival. However my friends and family graciously donated a huge quantity of art supplies for the school http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-246215.html Greetings from Cape Coast I am happy to be writing from my new location. Katy and I left Ejura last Thursday morning. It was hard to say goodbye to the boys the students and teachers at the school the neighbors and the townspeople of Ejura. We spent most of Wednesday walking around taking pictures of all the people we have come to know and love over the past five months.We stayed overnight in http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Central/Cape-Coast/blog-243849.html January 26 2008I just finished watching ldquoEmmanuelrsquos Giftrdquo with the boys at the house. What an awesome movie Thanks Marcy for sending it. It was a great experience to watch the movie with the boys they understood the Twi that was spoken in it and could relate to the scenes that were shown.If you havenrsquot seen it yet I highly recommend it. It is the true story of Em http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-243837.html After 81 days without electricity we are finally back on the grid The electricity came back on Saturday while we were gone. Irsquom sure there was quite a celebration judging from my reaction alone upon arriving to find that the lights had been restored. It is a strange feeling. Itrsquos funny how used to the dark we had become. I still forget to turn the light on when I go into the bat http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-239060.html Questions for Ms. Cockle and her students from Mrs. Carusorsquos 1st and 2nd period class1. What does the food taste like A lot of Ghanian food is starchbased. Lots of carbohydrates white rice boiled or fried yams fried or boiled plantains giant bananas fu fu pounded cassava yam or plantain that is about the consistency of raw bread dough. The starch foods are then covered in or di http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-233417.html Many of you know that when I initially signed up to volunteer in Ejura I committed only through the first term or the middle of December. I was nervous about spending the entire time in one place. I hit midDecember and felt good about staying until April.Then we had our holiday break.I spent most of the past month traveling. I realized that there is so much more in Ghana that I want to see and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-236184.html Finally finally finally I think I have figured out how to post pictures so you could see them. I have really tried hard during the past four months. First they were too big. Then my computer charger died. Finally I have my computer charger and I uploaded all onto my computer to compress them. Then they were too small to post on this site. Then...I found snapfish and it worked I think. The http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-235180.html So after the firecrackerfull New Year's Eve and New Year's day on the beach with a man making Chinese Tea we met up with Katy who had accompanied her father back to the airport in Accra. He had been visiting from Texas. Katy also collected Nicole the newest volunteer a 22yearold nurse from Michigan. On Wednesday night Aminu and his friends Atu and Francis arranged a cultural performance for http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-233407.html Happy New Year from Cape Coast Ah...it's nice to be out of Ejura for a few days My journey began on Saturday when I headed for Koforidua to attend a wedding. Or what I thought was a wedding. After what turned out to be a six hour journey on one of the most uncomfortable tro tros yet I sat behind the driver and also behind the engine...which heated my feet to unbelievably high temperatures. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-232272.html When you're in Ejura for several days in a row there's not much else to do besides head to a neighboring town to hit up the internet. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Today is day 3 of the Christmas celebration here in Ghana but I can't quite determine exactly HOW the people celebrate. Kwabena told me that on Christmas Day yesterday everyone goes to the bars and drinks. Today then they http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-230496.html Merry Christmas Eve to you all I promised a more exciting blog so here you go The trip last weekend to Nkoranza was a fun time and much enjoyed. The orphanage was beautiful and one of the nicest places I've stayed so far. There was a gift shop that sold chocolate chip cookies and wine. We sat out on the patio that evening and enjoyed a drink and the best cookies we've had in Ghana Maaike h http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-230027.html Greetings from Nkoranza Katy Maaike and I are traveling this weekend. Nkoranza is a little town about an hour away from Ejura. We're staying at Operation Hand in Hand a shelter for handicapped children in Ghana. It also has several guest rooms. The grounds are beautiful There is a restaurant and a pool for the children. We're staying in a suite which contains an outdoor shower and toilet. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-228053.html Well I suppose it's time for a little update. It's been a few weeks since I've written anything...not a whole lot has been going on. A lot of the same. But here are a few of the highlightsDay 42 without electricity. It's getting old now. Occasionally the entire town loses electricity as well and that's even worse because then the water goes out also. Last week I fetched my bathwater from http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Ashanti/Ejura/blog-227007.html